Garbage dumping in Bengaluru’s lakes turns fatal for Indian darters
Birders and animal rescuers are noticing a sharp increase in the number of birds in distress at the city’s many lakes
Birdwatcher Renuka Selvamani has observed an alarming trend at Doddanekundi Lake, where she regularly photographs a variety of birds. She has noticed an increase in birds in distress, attributing this to the dumping of garbage by humans. The Oriental or Indian darter, also known as the snakebird, seems to be particularly affected, as their long, slender necks and sharp beaks make them vulnerable to entanglement in waste.
The darters are struggling to hunt or feed themselves and are starving to death, according to Renuka, who works as a data scientist at Expedia Group. Jayanthi Kallam, Executive Director of the Avian and Reptile Rehabilitation Centre in Horamavu, reports a surge in darters in distress across at least 10 lakes in Bengaluru. The darters' pointed beaks, adapted for spearing fish, make them susceptible to entanglement in garbage, and their inability to remove the entanglement leads to starvation.
Certain types of garbage, such as plastic wrappers, discarded fishing nets, and puja items, are causing the most danger. These items are often brightly colored, attracting the birds, and once their beaks are tangled, they cannot free themselves. The rescue process is challenging due to the birds' flighted nature, requiring specialized equipment like motorised boats and drones.
While some birds have been rescued, they are often in extremely weak and emaciated conditions upon rescue. Birdwatchers are now planning a poster campaign to raise awareness about this issue, emphasizing the problem, its causes, and potential solutions.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
